Woven sensing grids for perforated records



Sept. 7, 1948.

J. W. ARMBRUSTER WOVEN SENSING GRIDS FOR PERFORATED RECORDS Filed Oct. 25, 1947 amv l: N] S K l N) E E VI IIIIIIIIIIIIIIHI IIIIIIIIIIII 0L W INVNTOIR ion that differentially timed impulses are directed through lconnections established at the index points where perforations are sensed.

According to the present invention, a pair of separate intersecting woven grids (Figs. 1 and 2) is brought into contact with opposite faces of a stationary perforated record, and extensions on the grids extend through the perforations into contact and form selective paths for the impulses which are timed to be representative of the data perforated in the record. A grid element frame 35a carries a set of horizontal lines or wires and a set of vertical lines. When two such grids are brought together, there are a plurality of line intersections, each coinciding with an index point of a tabulating record. The horizontal lines may be formed with eighty warp extensions to project through any perforations found in the usual eighty column card. The

vertical lines are formed with twelve woof extensions spaced evenly and coinciding in position with the twelve columnar record positions illustrated in Fig. 3. When two grids are placed together, the extensions on vertical lines of one grid coincide with the extensions on the horizontal lines of the other grid, so that contact is established at all line intersection points on the grids. However, when a perforated record is placed between two grids, all line extensions are separated and insulated from each other except those extensions coinciding with a perforation.

The impulses directed through the grids are received at input terminals IT3 (Fig. 2) and pass through the horizontal lines 39C of one grid,

the upper edge of the grid frame 35a. Each of the twelve horizontal lines 38C is connected to one of the terminals IT3 and insulated from all others by the composition of the frame. In a similar manner, each of the eighty Vertical lines 40o is connected to one of the terminals OTS and insulated from all others.

As explained in Patent 2,353,001, of which this is a continuation-impart, an impulse emitter is provided and driven in synchronism with the tabulator. The control impulses from the emitter are directed through the horizontal lines 39C at differential times. The bottom line 39e receives the first impulse which coincides in time with the usual 9 impulse of the ordinary tabulator cycle. A second impulse is directed into the horizontal line 39o second from the bottom, and the other impulses follow in order up the grid frame. Should one of the vertical wires 40C in one grid frame protrude through a 9 perforation 36 (Fig. 3) in contact with the lowest horizontal wire 39o in another grid frame, it is apparent that the "9 impulse will be received and transmitted through the upper terminal OT3. In a similar fashion any other differentially timed impulse will be carried along a related horizontal line, picked out by the contacting vert-ical line and carried up to the output terminal OTS, at which point it passes through a contacting connection and is carried into the tabulator.

The terminals IT3 and OT3 are metallic clips which are clamped over the ends of the conducting wires and on the edge of the grid element. A. good electrical connection is thus established and made available outside the connes of the record and grid elements when they are stacked.

It is understood that, when operating with the previously described woven grid constructions, pressure is applied on the faces of the stack to insure contact between warp and woof line projections coinciding with perforations in the records. When such grids and record constructions are of thi-n flexible material such as rubber, asphalt or other plastic vegetable or mineral material, the application of pressure will form the grids, wires and record into an interlaced unit, as a wire supporting structure. It is possible for a single grid, such as grid 3501l (Fig. 2) to bear horizontal as well as vertical wires and thus eliminate the need for spacers shown assembled with the dual grid constructions shown in my Patents 2,353,001 and 2,353,003. Also, as shown in my application Serial No. 521,232, filed on February 5, 1944, a single set of either horizontal or vertical wires was on each grid element. Therefore, two such elements were needed for each record, while in the present instance the two sets of lines of one grid cooperate with two adjacent records. The present arrangement of weave of Fig. 2 is one wherein all intersecting lines are separated and contact is made between the lines of two composite grids through perforations in a record. In other words, the present composite grid is like the grid of my application Serial No. 781,577, iiled on October 23, 1947, but without predetermined contact points.

rihe body 35a (Fig. 2) of the grid element may l be made of woven cotton or glass threads, or it may be composed of other insulation materials such as paper or Bakelite which are perforated at intervals to simulate woven material. Through this element a series of twelve horizontal conducting lines 39e are threaded or deposited in such a fashion that they appear at intervals, first on one side of the record and then on the other side. Such threading can be done by hand either after weaving the body of the element or along with such weaving. For more rapid operation, selective pattern weaving is performed automatically in Jacquard looms. Other lines 40e are woven in a vertical direction in such a manner that at all of the points of intersection of the horizontal lines therewith the two different lines are separated by the material 35a. I-Iowever, contact is established between horizontal wires of one grid and vertical wires of another grid at certain select points of intersection through the perforations (Fig. l) of a record card, in order that the contacting conducting lines may form a readout means for emitting a plurality of differentially timed impulses.

Assuming that the interspersed record has perforations representing the value 492 (Fig 3), then at those three digit index points the horizontal lines come into contact with the vertical lines, the result being that when a regular series of timed impulses are received at the terminals IT3 attached to the end of the horizontal lines 39e of one grid, three of such impulses are seandere@ lcte'dFto be emitted thro-'ugh the adjacent' upper? terminals GT3' of the next grid.

Inl the insulation structures of the describedi control elements' and grids, the perforated recordl card may be regarded as any insulation sheet because it serves to separate the condu'otors or wire elements and ybring them into contact electrically, When referring to-sheetslclf` insulation or insulation Sheet, it is understood thatreferenc'ei's made to alayer or layers of any flat or woven insulation material which may or may not include aL performated record as a part of thefconducting line insulation structure,

As explained hereinbefore, an impulse emitter is provided and driven in synchronism with the operation of the tabulating machine'. The control impulses from the emit-iter are directed tirdug'li' the horizontal' lines 39C at differenti` times. .The bottom lino 39ev receives the first impulse: which coincidesin"` time` with the usual "9"lmpulse of the ordinary tabulator cycle and then the'other wires aresuccessively energized. Wherever one of the vertical lines 40e protrudes through into contact with the lowest horizontal wire 39C, it is apparent that the 9 impulse will be received and transmitted through to the upper terminal OT3. In a similar fashion any other differentially timed impulse will be carried along a related horizontal line, picked out by the contacting vertical line and carried up to the output terminal OTS, at which point it passes through a contacting connection and is carried into the adding or printing control devices of the tabulator.

When the tabulator is connected for control by the grid analyzers of the present invention, the usual upper and lower brushes are not used and the plug wiring therefrom may be removed from the sockets connected to the adding, printing and group control magnets. The card feeding unit is not used, but it may be allowed to operate without placing any records in the magazine. The usual upper and lower card lever contacts ordinarily close when cards are fed through the regular sensing unit, but in the present instance they may be shunted by closing switches to provide shunt circuits around the contacts.

'I'he impulse emitter already mentioned is provided for initiating in each cycle a set of twelve differentially timed impulses corresponding with the impulse usually sensed when reading the perforations of a moving record card. This emitter is connected to be driven by the mechanism in the tabulator. Although the grid assemblies remain stationary in a le, each card is analyzed as though in motion by the successive timing of the impulses. The different records in the grids are sensed in succession by movement of a contacting structure placed in the i'lle and provided with an escapement mechanism for controlling movement of the contactors over the `grid terminals so that one record after another is brought into association with the sensing control.

In addition to the previously mentioned parent Patent 2,353,001 claiming devices for sensing and reading out data representing impulses from a file of grid line elements, there are three other patent applications related to this case. Patent 2,353,003 contains claims for record sensing elements having conducting lines or wires deposited thereon. Application Serial No. 521,232, filed on February 5, 1944, sets forth claims for record sensing elements having separate sets of woven vertical and horizontal grid lines. Application SerialNoi 781,577?, filed; on Octoberl 23; 1f94'2i-coie tains cl'aims foracircuitbearing element wherein intersecting grid lines are' woven1 into contactat certainintersections.

While there have been shown and describedand pointed' out't'le fundamental novell features ofthe inventionE asaplfili'ed` to asingle modifica'- tion, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions`V and changes in the form and detailsoff the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by' those skilled inthe art"V without departing fromy the spirit of the Vinven-r tion. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following r claims.

What is-cl'aimedlis:

1. an article'of manufacture, a thin rectangular sheetof insulation material, said sheet having woven therein aplurality of' insulatedfsets of regularly' spaced 'conducting lines, the linesV of' said sets being arranged! at intersecting angles thereon, said linesy liavin'g' regularly spaced and oppositely crossing exposed warp and woof portions along the length of the lines, whereby said sheet, when assembled compactly with another similar line bearing sheet with a perforated record between them, provides differential conduction paths by contact of said exposed Woof portions of the rst of said sheets with the exposed warp line portions of said other sheet through the record perforations for conduction of electrical impulses therethrough.

2. A machine control device comprising a pair of sheets of grid material, each grid woven with horizontal and vertical wires, said wires arranged to be separated one from the other but the vertical lines having exposed woof portions and the horizontal lines having exposed warp portions, said exposed portions occurring at regular index points, whereby a pair of such sheets when assembled with an interspersed perforated record permits sensing of the record in such an assembly by contact through the perforations representative of data and coincident with the index points of said grid sheets, said perforations allowing certain exposed Woof portions of one grid to contact with certain exposed warp portions of the other grid.

3. As an article of manufacture, a thin rectangular sheet of insulation material, said sheet bearing two separated woven sets of conducting lines, said sets aranged at right angles to each other, one of said sets having lines allocated to different data, both sets of said lines extending to the edges of said sheet, each of said lines also having spaced outwardly woven portions along the length of the line at intervals and in number corresponding with the spacing and number, respectively, of the lines of the set other than the set of which the line is a member, whereby a plurality of such sheets, when assembled with interspersed perforated records, permits sensing of the records in a stack by contact of woven extending portions through the perforations.

4. A circuit connecting device comprising a pair of similar parallel sheets, each sheet bearing a woven set of spaced conducting lines aligned in one direction and a separate woven set of spaced conducting lines arranged at an angle with the rst mentioned set, said sheets also having a plurality of index point positions, there being one at each crossing of said lines, said point positions of adjacent sheets corresponding in position, said lines being formed with oppositely crossing and facing warp and Woof projections at al1 line crossings, whereby a perforated record can be placed between said sheets to secure contact between certain warp and Woof projections of crossing lines at certain of said points coinciding with said perforations to conductively connect selected crossing lines of adjacent sheets of a thin pack of two sheets assembled with a perforated record.

5. A fiat data sensing device comprising a pair of sheets of insulation material, each of said sheets provided over a data representing area with a woven set of spaced horizontal conducting Wires representing data value and a Woven set of spaced vertical conducting wires representing ordinal position, said wires having warp and Woof portions extending outward from said sheets, said sets of wires of different sheets of said pair of sheets arranged in contiguous relation and selectively contacting at intersecting points where the wires have said portions, with terminals of said sets of wires exposed at the edges of both sheets, whereby a data sheet with diierentially located data representing perforations can be inserted' between said pair of sheets and said sets of wires to permit said contacting through said perforations so that data representing impulses can enter into the horizontal set of wires, selectively pass through the data sheet at the contacting points and emerge from the other set of Wires of the next insulation sheet, said impulses representing the data of the perforated sheet,

JOHN W. ARMBRUSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 20,224 Van Billiard Dec. 29, 1936 1,981,987 Bryce Nov. 2'7, 1934 2,014,432 Gerhold Sept. 17, 1935 2,353,003 Armbruster July 4, 1944:` 2,353,061 Oldenbloom July 4, 1944 

